Oh Captain, My Captain
by teaandcharcoalforbreakfast
Summary: Steve thought that he would never meet anyone from his old life once he woke up 70 years later. To his surprise, he finds Alfred F. Jones, who he thought was just a normal man in the army. After he learns Alfred's secret, they begin to connect.


Since the fourth of July happens to be both America's and Steve's birthday, I thought that I'd throw something together for them. Actually, I was hoping that someone who was more familiar with the Avengers universe (everything I know I know from tumblr) would make one of these. I didn't see any, though, so I quickly made one starting at about 7 pm. Here goes!

* * *

Steve had come to learn that the twenty-first century was full of surprises. As soon as he thought he'd caught up with the times, something flew out of left field to surprise him.  
Today, that something was Alfred.

Alfred F. Jones was a young man who had fought with him during WWII. He was supposed to be a completely ordinary soldier who just so happened to be sent on the missions of highest importance.

Seventy years later he was still a young man and was visiting S.H.I.E.L.D to drop off some intelligence.

Alfred was talking with Fury when Steve came in to complain about Tony and Bruce doing experiments that left all the sinks radioactive _again_.

It might have been years, but Steve could never forget him. After all, it was hard to forget the man who was probably the inspiration for Steve's current state. Alfred stood and smiled at him.

Fury was about to open his mouth when Alfred said, "Don't worry, Nick, we've met."

"How are you-?" Steve asked as Alfred walked towards him.

"I'm good," Alfred said, obviously misunderstanding the question, "How are you? Other than the whole frozen-for-seventy-years thing?"

"I'm alright, I suppose." Steve said, "But how-"

"Come on," Alfred said, "Let's take a walk and I can explain some things to you."

* * *

"So" Steve said slowly, "Let me get this straight. Every country on earth is... also a person? And they live forever?"

"Well, we disappear eventually, but pretty much." Al- _America_ said, shrugging his shoulders. He looked out over the city. They'd ended up on the top floor of the tower. Steve looked out with him, trying to remember what the city looked like before he was frozen.

"This is crazy." He finally said.

"How much crazier than Norse Gods being Aliens, a man who has a suit of armor powered by a high-tech magnet in his chest, and someone who can transform into a big green monster when he gets angry?"

"I didn't mean that. I meant getting to see you again. I thought everyone from my time would be either old or dead, but you-" He touched Alfred's shoulder, just to remind himself that he was real.

Alfred smiled, "I was so happy when they said you'd come back. I always liked you, you know. I was glad they picked you for the serum. You're a good kid."

"What does the serum have to do with anything?"

Alfred took Steve's hand and led him inside to the nearest mirror. He stood next to him and they looked into it together.

"Did you ever wonder why you look so much like me now? We could probably be twins. They used me to make you like this. They were trying to make another one of me. Sort of, anyway. The face is a coincidence, though, unless they did it just to make it more confusing."

Steve looked at Alfred. Even if at first he hadn't seemed to have aged a day, his eyes were older now. They were always old, like he'd seen more than the rest of them put together, but they were so much deeper now. Steve bit his lip. He had been taught the history of what had happened to the country, but what had happened to the man while he was gone? His heart surged with emotion for his friend.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"Huh? For what?" Alfred straightened up and looked at him with his head cocked to the side, just like it always was. In a moment, all of that experience was hidden again behind that mask that he always used to wear. The mask that Steve now understood he _had_ to wear.

"I wish I was here for you."

Alfred smiled and took his hand again, "You don't have to worry about it. It wasn't in your control. And you're here now, o captain, my captain."

There was something about the way he said that phrase that tugged at the edges of Steve's memory, but all of his attempts at recollection were washed away by the look in Alfred's eyes. Steve felt his heart speed up. It was so beautiful. He was so beautiful. He'd always been beautiful, and it was at times like this, when he was actually beginning to open up, that he was at his most gorgeous.

"Why don't I take you out to dinner?" Alfred asked, "We can catch up for real."

"What do you mean by that?"

Alfred grinned, "It can mean whatever you want."

* * *

"-And that's why I have a unicorn at my house." Alfred finished, taking another swig of his coke.

Steve laughed. "One of these days you're going to have to introduce me to the rest of you. They sound like interesting folks."

Alfred snorted, "That's putting it mildly." He smiled down at his drink, "They're really the closest thing I've got to family, though, and they're the only friends I've got."

"You mean you don't have anyone in your own country?"

"Well, I've got acquaintances, sure, but none of them can really know who I am. You're the only human I've told since I was a colony, except for my bosses, of course."

"Hmm," Steve took a sip of his own soda. It was probably good that no one else was sitting outside that night or there would have been a lot more people that knew.

"Well, I've got you too, now. If you'd like to be friends."

Steve smiled at him, "I thought we already were."

America's eyes went wide and he smiled, "Really? You're fine being my friend?"

"I've always thought you were swell, Alfred, I'd be happy to be your friend."

"Awesome! Hey, wanna sleep over tonight?"

Steve blinked, "Well, alright."

And, just like that, Alfred was dragging him through the city.

* * *

Even though Alfred's apartment was very simple, one big room with a small bathroom attached and one area sectioned off for a kitchenette, he found that he liked it. He couldn't help but think that it suited Alfred well to live somewhere so open, without even walls to divide the space.

"Sorry, I would have cleaned up a bit, but I didn't know you were coming, obviously."

"It's no problem," Steve said smiling because, really, it was no worse than Tony's room on any given day before the maids came in. At least there weren't used condoms and dirty underwear all over. "So what do you want to do?"

Alfred frowned, "I'm not sure. It's been a while since someone's slept over with me. It usually only happens when someone's boss is too cheap to rent a hotel or they think we should bond or something. Normally we just talk, and I guess we can do that, but we've kind of talked about everything that came to mind already, right?"

"I suppose so." Steve racked his brain. What was it people did nowadays when they slept over?

"Oh! Oh! I have an idea!" Alfred pulled out his phone and touched the screen a few times, "Let's play truth or dare! I got this app a while ago and I've really wanted to use it, but Tony won't play it with me, so I haven't gotten to try it yet."

"Wait," Steve said, feeling hurt, "You told Tony you were a nation before you told me?"

"Oh, sorry, not Iron Man Tony, my awesome space alien friend Tony. You should meet him sometime. He's really good at video games!"

Steve laughed, "We should have them face off sometime. Tony always brags about he's unbeatable. I can't get the hang of the things, but it would be fun to see someone beat him."

"It would be hella confusing, though," Alfred said with a laugh.

"Probably."

"Anyway! Let's try this thing!" He sat down on the couch and placed his phone on the coffee table, "I'll start! Um... let's go dare!"

He pushed the square that said "Dare" on it.

"Lick your foot." He said, reading the screen. "Can I even do that? He took off his socks and shoes and, after a few minutes of struggling, managed to get his tongue to touch one of his toes. "I think that's the best we're gonna get. Your turn!"

Steve startled, having forgotten that he had to have a turn to. Not sure what would happen if he hit truth, he hit dare as Alfred had before. "Stand on one foot for the rest of the game" He said. He raised an eyebrow. That thing definitely made weird requests. Still, he had to do what the phone said, so he stood and lifted his left leg.

"Can I switch off?" He asked.

"Yeah, sure." Alfred said, "It would suck to stand on one leg until we get bored of this. Anyway, my turn!" This time he pressed truth, "'What are you most afraid of?' Ghosts! Ghosts scare the hell out of me."

There were several rounds of similarly innocuous questions or requests, until one time when Steve pressed truth he got something completely different. "Kiss someone in the game," it said.

Steve read the request several times, just to make sure he understood. It was only him and Alfred, so that meant... He swallowed and blushed. It wasn't that he didn't want to. In fact, it was the opposite. He'd always been at least a bit interested in Alfred, and now kissing men was alright, right? Besides, he was in private and even seventy years ago more than kissing happened behind closed doors. He wanted it so badly, but how would Alfred feel? He had just now realized they were friends, what would a kiss do?

He looked to Alfred, hoping to get a clue from his expression. He was just smiling sweetly at him. "Hey, just do whatever you're comfortable with. I'm fine."

Steve swallowed and nodded before leaning forward and ever-so-gently taking Alfred's lips in a kiss. They were slightly chapped, but they still felt so good against Steve's. He wanted to press harder, but he wasn't sure of what to do. Did Alfred like it? Did he think it was disgusting and was only putting up with it for the sake of the stupid game? Steve got his answer when Alfred started pressing back. Exuberant that he was reciprocating, Steve threw his arms around Alfred's neck, pulling them closer together. Alfred's arms were around Steve now, feeling his sides before settling to the small of his back.

They pulled apart breathing heavily and Steve said, "I-I think it's your turn."

Alfred laughed and picked up the phone. Steve expected him to unlock it to start the game again, but instead he turned it off and set it back down.

"I think we should ask each other now. I pick truth."

"D-did you like that?" Steve asked.

"Yeah. Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Steve said, feeling adventurous.

Alfred smiled, "Do it again."

This time both of them were more aggressive. They pulled their upper bodies flush together. Steve had nothing to go on but instinct, but Alfred was a good teacher. He guided him through the kiss, coaxing his mouth open and bringing his tongue out to dance. Steve felt Alfred's back, loving the feel of those muscles beneath his shirt. It was when Alfred let out a moan that Steve finally pulled away.

"Wait, wait a second," He said, wiping his lips with the back of his hand to take away the extra saliva. "I know we've known each other a while, but I just met you again today. I'm not sure if I'm ready."

Alfred smiled and took his hands again, "That's fine, Steve. I'm not going anywhere. You have all the time in the world."

They sat on that sofa and watched movies for the rest of the night, whatever films he had on hand that Steve had yet to watch.

Half way through Back to the Future he fell asleep on America's shoulder. Right before he fell asleep, he could swear he heard him reciting poetry.

_"But O heart! heart! heart!  
no more cold or drops of red,  
My captain stands and no longer lies,  
He's come back from the dead."_

But, of course, that might have all been his imagination.

* * *

A/n: If you're curious, the poem mentioned in this story is "O Captain! My Captain!" written by Walt Whitman, originally about the death of Lincoln. The original full version is like this:

_O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;  
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won;  
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,  
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:_

_But O heart! heart! heart!_

_O the bleeding drops of red,_

_Where on the deck my Captain lies,_

_Fallen cold and dead._

_O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;_  
_Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;  
For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;  
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;_

_Here Captain! dear father!_

_This arm beneath your head;_

_It is some dream that on the deck,_

_You've fallen cold and dead._

_My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;  
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;  
The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;  
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;_

_Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!_

_But I, with mournful tread,_

_Walk the deck my Captain lies,_

_Fallen cold and dead._


End file.
